


A Way To Be Happy

by Aupple (GiveUpResistance)



Series: Swan Queen Week Winter 2015 [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Soul Mate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-01
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-09 23:42:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3268655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GiveUpResistance/pseuds/Aupple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma thinks that the whole Soulmate thing is a load of crap.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Way To Be Happy

**Author's Note:**

> Soulmate AU for Swan Queen Week  
> Ugh, this went way off I think, I got sick halfway through writing it and didn't know where to go with it after that.  
> I hope you enjoy it somewhat anyway :)  
> Sorry it's so late, too.

Emma thinks that the whole soulmate thing is crap.

She’s seen the way that people will throw away their lives for their other half, seen them in as shitty relationships as any unmarked couple.

It makes her glad, when puberty comes around, that a mark doesn’t appear.

Until it does.

The black swirl, like a puff of smoke, on the inside of her upper arm, has her immediately investing in some longer sleeved t shirts, even in the middle of summer.

She’s conflicted over it for a while, but she just keeps fucking up, until she decides never to look for her soulmate.

They deserve better.

 

Neal is unmarked and just as fucked up as she is, Emma thinks. But her mark makes him uncomfortable, the idea that she’s meant for someone else. It hurts that he can’t love her, that he refuses to, and they part in anger.

And with a baby inside Emma, though she doesn’t know it at the time.

She almost gets rid of it, wants to almost desperately. She can’t afford the medical costs, can’t afford to take care of a kid.

But she’s selfish, wants someone to love her like she’s never known.

She manages to get the money, barely, by working for a bail bondsman - she knows the ways that people hide, how their minds work when they’re running away.

 

Henry is the first name that pops into her head when Minty, who coaxed her through the birth, asks, so that’s what she goes for, has no idea, really, and what the hell is she doing?

But he reaches for her, turns his face into her chest, her tiny little child, and she’s no longer alone.

 

Henry is a joy and a terror and a stress and Emma loves him so. For the first time ever, Emma has something, anything to live for.

She keeps working as a bail bondsperson, easier now that she doesn’t have to worry about the child inside her, and goes home to Henry in the morning/afternoon/evening, pays one of the neighbours kids to babysit him when she has a job to do.

Somehow he grows up sweet and smart, something that Emma had thought impossible, but he’s lovely to everyone and oh so curious, asking too many questions that she doesn’t know the answer to.

Most of the time, she attempts to at least stay in Boston for her jobs, but occasionally she has to leave town. She hates to leave Henry, but a reliable baby sitter can take care of him for a night without Henry getting upset, and when she gets back he gets to choose what they have for dinner.

But then a bail jumper is on his way to Maine and the babysitter has a fever and she doesn’t know who else she trusts, and even as good a kid as Henry is, he’s not even five yet so she can’t leave him on his own. She’s about to call her boss and tell him that she can’t go after the guy, but then Henry tugs her sleeve and says, “I’ll be good, Mama. I can sit in the car.”

Yeah, she’s a shitty parent, but this guy is worth a lot, and Henry’s going to need things for school in the fall, which is how she ends up driving up the I-95 with Henry in the backseat, listening to a Roald Dahl audiobook.

She pulls into the town of Storybrooke (honest-to-god, a town called Storybrooke), just after noon, and finds Granny’s Inn easily enough.

“It’s funny, we hardly get any visitors here, but you’re the second person in two days to book a room here,” the chatty waitress, Ruby, says as she hands over the key.

“Really?” Emma replies, feigning disinterest.

“Yeah, unfortunately he’s got the best room. Still, this one’s nice too. The furniture in all of them is old fashioned though, Granny refuses to but chic stuff in there.” Ruby makes a face.

“I’m sure it’ll be lovely.”

She gets Henry settled in the room with books and their ipod, making him promise not to open the door to anyone before going back downstairs to the diner.

When she asks ‘Granny’ if there’s a pawnbroker in town, she’s fixed with a pair of gleaming eyes. “You’re the second person in town to ask that,” she says before giving her directions.

Pawnbrokers are ideal for men like the one she’s looking for, somewhere they get cash for any valuables they might have had without drawing attention to their credit card. Unfortunately for Connor Smythe, his wife had been happy to let them track his movements using their bank accounts, and he’d made the mistake of not paying cash at Granny’s.

Gold’s shop is a large building, and while the room behind the glass windows is cluttered, she can see Smythe talking to a man behind the counter. Satisfied, Emma decides to wait outside, leaning against the wall. Confronting people in shops inevitable lead to damages.

She doesn’t even have to wait five minutes before he comes strolling out, stuffing a fat wallet into his pocket.

Emma steps away from the wall. “Connor Smythe?”

He swivels, surprised etched on his face, then looks her up and down, relaxing. “Yeah?”

“I was under the impression that your bail terms prohibited you from leaving Massachusetts.”

He runs.

 

Regina sighs. “Alright, Graham, you win. You can have a deputy, if only so that you stop annoying me about it.”

Sheriff Humbert grins. “Excellent.”

“Hopefully you’ll be too busy looking after them to irritate me,” she continues, but the Sheriff refuses to stop smiling.

“Ah, I’ll find someone that it won’t be too difficult to train.”

“Really?” Regina asks. “I can’t think of a single person in this town who is remotely qualified for the job.”

They step from the City Hall steps onto the pavement and Graham opens his mouth to say something else, only to be knocked into the fence as a man runs past. A moment later, a woman dodged around them, yelling ‘Sorry,’ as she passed, a blur of blonde hair, and Regina watches as she tackles the guy to the ground.

 

Emma handcuffs Smythe and then sits back, turning to see the two people she sprinted past staring at her.

She blushes slightly. “I’m a bail bondsperson.”

“Ah.” The man nods in understanding and walks over to pull Smythe up by his wrists. As he bends down, his jacket swings she notices the sheriff’s badge on his belt. It’s awkward meeting police.

“Would you like a hand up?” the woman asks, and Emma nods, taking the outstretched hand. A tingle runs through her as she stands, and she accidentally holds on to the other woman’s fingers for a little too long, staring into her dark eyes.

She’s beautiful, and she’s probably the Sheriff’s girlfriend or wife or something.

“I’m Sheriff Graham Humbert,” the man says, interrupting her creepy staring and reminding her to let go of probably-Mrs-Humbert’s hand. “We can probably take care of getting him back to…”

“Boston. That would be great, actually.”

“Not a problem, Miss-”

“Swan. Emma Swan.”

“Well, Emma Swan,” Humbert says. “Do you think you’d like to be a deputy sheriff?”

“Sheriff-” the other woman says warningly.

“Oh come on, Regina. You said yourself that there wasn’t anyone qualified for the job, and Miss Swan here obviously has experience.”

“Um, well if that’s a serious job offer then I’d love to take it, depending on a couple of things, but isn’t that the sort of thing that you’d have to check with the mayor or someone first?”

“Well, Madame Mayor?” the sheriff asks, turning to ‘Regina’.

She’s the mayor.

The mayor frowns. “I’d need to see references first.” She turns to look at Emma. “I’m Regina Mills, the mayor.”

“I’m pleased to meet you.”

‘Would you like to come into my office to discuss possibilities?”

Emma thought about it, but being alone with Regina, where she could ask if the woman was single, was far less important than getting back to Henry. “Could we go to the diner, actually? My son is there, and I don’t want to leave him there alone for too long.”

“Oh, you have a son?” Regina asks, eyes lighting up. “How old is he?”

“I’ll go put this guy in the station then,” the sheriff says, but Emma just nods and Regina waves her hand at him dismissively as the begin to walk in the direction of the diner.

“He’s four.”

“So a job as deputy sheriff would be useful in providing you with regular work hours and insurance, then?”

Emma nods. “It’d be a godsend. He’s a great kid, but I hate leaving him without much warning, even if I have a baby sitter. She was sick today, which is why he’s with me, but he’s starting school soon, so…”

“Things are a bit tight?” Regina looked thoughtful. “We have quite a good school here, even if it is a bit small.”

“Do you have kids? You sound like you know what you’re talking about.”

Regina looked at the pavement. “No, I don’t. My best friend, Kathryn, has a boy and a girl, though, and I try my best.”

“So there’s no Mr Mills? Or a Mr Mills-hopeful?”

Regina laughs. “No, Miss Swan. I hope that you don’t think that was smooth.”

“Nah, I’m no good at smooth,” Emma admits. “My usual aim is to cross my fingers and hope that they say yes to a date.”

Regina rolls her eyes as the walk up the path to Granny’s, even more when Emma beats her to the door and holds it open for her in a ridiculous pose.

“Ma,” Henry says as they enter, twirling around on one of the stools at the counter. “Did you get him?”

“Yes, I did, Henry, and I thought I asked you to stay in the room until I got back.”

He pouts. “I was hungry.”

“I wasn’t even gone half an hour,” she says, but his attention is already on the woman beside her.

“Who are you?” he asks, eyes wide and questioning.

Regina holds out a hand for him to shake, which he does so solemnly once she’s said, “I’m Regina, the mayor.”

“Nice to meet you, Regina.”

Behind the counter, Ruby snorts.

 

Emma sits Henry down the week after they get back to Boston, having received confirmation from the Storybrooke Sheriff’s department that they would, in fact, like to employ her.

“Henry, did you like Storybrooke?”

“Yeah.”

“What would you think of living there?”

“Instead of here?” He screwed up his face, thinking. “Okay. People are nice.”

“Wouldn’t you miss your friends?”

“I’d have to make new ones when I start school, wouldn’t I?”

Her son is too clever to really be hers. “You’re sure that you wouldn’t mind?”

“It’ll be an adventure,” Henry says, grinning.

 

They’re staying at Granny’s again, at least until a rental agreement has been confirmed. Henry likes looking out over the square from their window, and talking to people in the diner.

Regina comes in at just before eight on their second morning back in town for a coffee, and Emma doesn’t miss the surprised looks from the other patrons as Henry sits down beside her and starts chatting to her. Regina herself looks adorably confused, so rather than chivvying him away, Emma decides to sit down on Regina’s other side.

In a moment when Ruby asks Henry what he’d like for breakfast, Regina turns to her and hisses, “Do you normally let your son talk to strangers?”

“You’re not a stranger, and besides, we’re in a diner where everyone knows everyone and I’m right here. Also, do you know any good babysitters?”

“Ask Ruby.”

“And are there any rules against a municipal employee asking out the mayor?”

Emma sees Regina smile into her coffee, before she looks up straight faced. “No, but that’s only if the mayor is allowed to accept or deny any such applications without repercussions to the employee’s work ethic.”

Emma beams. “So, if the employee agreed to the conditions, then…”

“Mom, are you talking about work already? You’re so _boring_ ,” Henry complains.

Emma gasps. “How can you say that my work is boring, Henry? I’m a deputy Sheriff now!”

Henry giggles, then looks worriedly at Regina as she stands up. “Are you going?”

Her expression softens as she looks at Henry. “I have work.”

“Oh, okay,” he says, cheered up. “See you later.”

Regina catches Emma’s eye as Henry turns to the plate of food set in front of him. “I’m afraid that you’ll have to ask to find out the answer to your question.”

She sweeps out of the diner, leaving Emma planning.

 

“So, that’s the station. Do you have any burning questions?” Graham asks.

“Yeah,” Emma replies. “Do we have any request forms?”

 

“Er, Madam Mayor?” Regina’s secretary says uncertainly.

“What is it?”

“You have what I believe is a request form from the Sheriff’s department.”

Regina waits for the woman to continue for a moment more than should be necessary. “And what does it say?”

“Well, I didn’t open it, because, well-” The envelope is place on her desk.

It becomes immediately obvious why it wasn’t opened. The envelope has ‘For Mayor Mills’ eyes only’ written in capitals on the front and underlined several times, as well as an ‘URGENT’ stamp.

“Thank you,” Regina says, and waves the other woman away.

It’s obviously Emma’s handiwork, as Graham has much neater writing.

The request form itself simply asks, ‘For Mayor Mills to take a night off and accompany Deputy Swan to an eating establishment of the mayor’s choosing’.

It’s rather sweet.

She manages to wait half an hour before picking up the phone and dialling the station.

“Hello, this is Storybrooke Sheriff’s department, you’re speaking to Deputy Swan.”

“Congratulations on wasting government time, Deputy Swan.”

“Regina! You got my letter?”

“Evidently.”

“And?”

Regina stays silent for a long minute before saying, “Request granted, once you’ve found a babysitter for Henry.”

“Awesome.” Regina can practically see Emma’s smile. “You won’t regret this, I promise.”

“I’m sure,” Regina replies sarcastically before hanging up. She doesn’t yet, actually. Which is surprising.

 

She doesn’t regret agreeing after the date a week later, either. Emma is a surprisingly good dinner companion, who seemed to genuinely enjoy learning about Regina. Most of what Regina had learned about the other woman had been that she had grown up in foster homes, and things about Henry, as well as a few self-deprecatingly funny stories.

Emma is fun, and Regina doesn’t mind.

None of that really explains why Henry turns up at her office late in the afternoon the next day.

“Did you and Mom go on a date last night?”

Henry is sitting in the chair opposite her desk, legs swinging back and forth as he alternates between trying to read her paperwork and asking her questions.

She doesn’t have the heart to send him away.

“What did she tell you, Henry?”

“That you did. She kept sighing and smiling and saying that you were lovely.” Brown eyes fix on her. “Did you guys _kiss_?”

Regina leans forward, putting a hand to the side of her mouth as if to block the sound from a non-existent audience before saying, “Yes, we did.”

Henry giggles. “Gross!”

She thinks back to the way Emma’s hands framed her cheeks as they stood in the darkness before Regina’s front door, and the feel of soft lips pressing to hers tenderly. Not gross at all. The very opposite of gross, in fact.

“Are you going to go on another date, ‘Gina?”

It takes a moment to form an appropriate response. “Maybe, Henry. Would you- would you mind if we did?”

“Nope!” he says, popping the p in a way that should be irritating. “You’re nice. As long as you stay nice, you’re okay.”

It almost feels like Henry is Emma’s protective older sibling.

“I’ll stay nice,” Regina agrees. “Cross my heart.”

Henry waits until she does so, then jumps up from the chair. “Okay! We can go see Mom now.”

“Isn’t she still at work?”

“No, she said that she finished at five.”

Regina checks her watch. It’s a few minutes past.

Henry is smiling at her innocently and holds out his hand. He’s far too clever.

She gets up but walks past him to the door, slipping on her coat before beckoning him forward. It’s strange to have him holding her hand as they walk through the building, Regina ignoring the stares that they garner.

“You have a tattoo on your arm,” Henry points out.

Regina hadn’t thought about it, but she’s in a sleeveless dress today, and she’s so used to it being there that she hadn’t thought about it. “It’s not a tattoo, it’s a mark.”

“Oh,” he says, and starts talking about something else.

She thinks that he’s forgotten, but then when they enter the diner, he releases her hand and runs to Emma, who’s standing talking to Ruby.

“Mom,” he says as she swoops him up and sits him on a stool, “Gina has a mark just like you! Are you gonna get married?”

There’s complete silence in the diner as everyone turns to stare at Regina.

All except Emma, who is saying to Henry, “What have I told you about marks, Henry? Just because people have them doesn’t mean that they’ll be together.”

“Minty’s mark married someone else.”

“That’s right,” Emma says, and turns to face Regina. By this time, she’s managed to glare everyone else into looking away and continuing their conversations. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s quite alright,” she replies.

Emma slips into a seat beside Henry and beckons her, so Regina sighs and sits.

Emma’s marked, and obviously isn’t with her soulmate. She wonders if it was Henry’s father.

Ruby leans on the counter. “Besides, kid, the mark has to be the same one.”

“But it _is_ the same one,” Henry grumbles. He suddenly grabs Emma’s arm, pulling the red leather jacket off of his mother’s shoulder.

“Okay, okay,” Emma says, and awkwardly pulls her arm out of the sleeve. “You happy now, Henry?”

Regina stares at the black mark on Emma’s inner arm. A mark that she knows all too well.

Silently she pulls off her own coat and bares her mark to Emma.

“Holy shit,” Emma says.

“See?” Henry says triumphantly. “I told you.”

 

Months later, Emma stares down at Regina’s peaceful face on the pillow beside her.

She’d never thought that things would turn out so well, but maybe there’s something in the soulmate business after all.

Not believing had lead to Henry, and then to Regina, but maybe that was how it was meant to be.

A way to be happy.


End file.
